Foreign and Commonwealth Office

USA: Diplomatic Immunity

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK citizens have diplomatic immunity in the US.

Nigel Adams: Holding answer received on 19 March 2020



UK citizens who are members of the Embassy and Consulates of the United Kingdom are notified to the Office of Foreign Missions at the US Department of State.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

Office for Tackling Injustices

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, with reference to the Answer of 15 October 2019 to Question 748, what the timetable is for the establishment of an Office for Tackling Injustices; and if he will publish the structural and staffing arrangements for that Office.

Chloe Smith: We are considering how best to take forward the work of the Office for Tackling Injustices in the light of the new Government’s domestic priorities, and the urgent necessity to focus on the response to the Coronavirus crisis.

Department for Education

Pre-school Education: Finance

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding his Department has provided for (a) planned changes to the early years foundation stage and (b) the introduction of a baseline test at reception year.

Vicky Ford: The proposed reforms to the Early Years Foundation Stage are part of a wider programme of work to improve children’s outcomes, particularly supporting children from all backgrounds to achieve the early language and literacy skills they need to thrive. The government will publish its response to the consultation on the reforms when possible. Alongside this, the government is investing in a range of initiatives to support quality early years provision, including £20 million to provide professional development for early years practitioners working in disadvantaged areas.From September 2020, the administration of the Reception Baseline Assessment will form part of a school’s statutory requirements. As with all national assessments, there is no specific funding for the assessment itself; the funding is included in the overarching funding for schools.

Education: Coronavirus

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) advice and (b) support he is providing to (i) further education and (ii) sixth form colleges on the covid-19 outbreak.

Gillian Keegan: Holding answer received on 23 March 2020



We are providing a range of advice and support to further education (FE) and sixth form colleges on the Covid-19 outbreak. We recognise that this situation carries financial implications for many institutions, and we are working to mitigate the impact as much as we can.To help manage this pressure, we can confirm that the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) will continue to pay grant funded providers their scheduled monthly profiled payments for the remainder of the 2019/20 funding year.ESFA allocations for 2020/21 were confirmed at the end of March, and payments will be made in line with the national profile which will be confirmed in the 2020/21 Funding Rules.Officials in the ESFA FE territorial teams are in regular contact with colleges to update them and answer questions that they may have. In addition, through the FE Commissioner and his team and our pool of National Leaders of Governance, we have a range of experienced FE leaders and governors who are able to offer advice and support.In addition, we know that colleges are looking at moving more learning on-line to allow students to continue with studies remotely. Jisc is providing practical advice to college staff and the Education and Training Foundation is running webinars for FE providers on how to make the most of online learning.We are working hard to provide support to mitigate impact on the FE sector and we know that rules and funding arrangements will need to be adapted. We have set out more information in the operational guidance that is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision. We have also published apprenticeship guidance, which is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-apprenticeship-programme-response.My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has also announced a series of wider measures to support employers and employees, recognising the significant impacts caused by COVID-19.

Coronavirus: Schools

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has plans to provide mental health support to (a) students and (b) teachers that are suffering from stress as a result of exams and the covid-19 outbreak.

Vicky Ford: On Wednesday 18 March, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education announced that schools, colleges and early years settings will be closed to everyone except children of key workers and vulnerable children, in order to contain the spread of coronavirus.They also confirmed that assessments and exams will no longer go ahead this academic year. We are working urgently with Ofqual and the awarding organisations to ensure that students still get the qualifications that they have been working towards.The department is working with NHS England and Public Health England who are providing guidance on seeking mental health support, including guidance for parents and carers of children and young people on addressing mental health and wellbeing concerns during the COVID-19 outbreak. Where in place, Mental Health Support Teams are also actively considering how they continue to deliver a service to support children and young people.We are continually engaging with education unions to ensure the school workforce get the support they need in these challenging times.

Education: Coronavirus

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made on the effect of noise distraction at home on the effectiveness of online classes for (a) primary and (b) secondary school students during the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb: The Department has not conducted any assessment of the effect of noise disruption on the effectiveness of online classes.

Children: Day Care

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial support will be available to the (a) childcare sector and (b) child minders in the event of school closures and enforced social distancing.

Vicky Ford: Holding answer received on 23 March 2020



On 17 March 2020, the Chancellor confirmed the government would continue to pay for free early years entitlement places for 2, 3 and 4-year-olds even if settings were closed on the advice of the government, or children were not able to attend due to coronavirus (COVID-19).We expect local authorities to continue early entitlements funding for all childminders, schools and nurseries.Further, the government has announced a package of support for workers and businesses which will benefit childcare providers.Childcare providers will be eligible for a business rates holiday for one year. That means non-local authority providers of childcare (registered with Ofsted and providing early years foundation stage) will pay no business rates in 2020 to 2021, from 1 April. Local authorities will be working on this.Nurseries in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief will benefit from small business grant funding of £10,000.Some settings operate from shared spaces which may now benefit from a 100% rates relief. We strongly encourage those shared spaces to reflect any business rates saving in their rent charges.The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme means that for employees who are not working but kept on payroll, the government will contribute 80% of each worker’s wages of up to £2,500, backdated to 1 March 2020. Providers can access this scheme while continuing to be paid the early entitlements funding via local authorities.The Business Interruption Loan Scheme will now be interest-free for 12 months (rather than 6 months).VAT payments due with VAT returns between now and end June 2020 will be deferred, UK VAT registered businesses will not need make those payments until the end of the financial year.Working tax credit has been increased by £1000 a year.The government has also announced a £20 per week increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance and Working Tax Credit basic element and an increase in the Local Housing Allowance rates for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants so that it covers the cheapest third of local rents.For the self-employed (including childminders) the minimum income floor will be temporarily relaxed, meaning Universal Credit can be accessed at a rate to match statutory sick pay.Further information can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures#funding andhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses.

Schools: Coronavirus

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if children living in temporary accommodation will be able to continue attending school.

Vicky Ford: From Monday 23 March, all schools and childcare settings are closed except to vulnerable children and children of critical workers. Where the work of a parent or guardian is critical to our response to COVID-19, children should only be sent to school and/or a childcare provider where they cannot be cared for safely at home.Vulnerable children include those who have a social worker and those children and young people up to the age of 25 with education, health and care plans. Those who have a social worker include children who have a child protection plan and those who are looked after by the local authority. A child may also be deemed to be vulnerable if they have been assessed as being in need or otherwise meet the definition in Section 17 of the Children Act 1989.Leaders of educational settings and designated safeguarding leads know who their most vulnerable children are and will have the flexibility to offer a place to those on the edges of receiving children’s social care support.